Dr. Tom Felke serves as the Executive Director of the Shady Rest Institute on Aging
as well as the Associate Dean for Academics in the Marieb College of Health & Human
Services at Florida Gulf Coast University. He received his Bachelors of Arts degree
in Elementary and Special Education from Providence College followed by advanced training
and research assistantships at both New York University and Yale University. He completed
his formal graduate education at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work,
having earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree with concentrations in administration,
policy, and international issues as well as a Ph.D. focused on research in Armenia
with ethnic Armenian refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan. Dr. Felke's professional
career includes positions with Catholic Charities of Southern Connecticut, the Connecticut
Department of Social Services, the Connecticut Department of Mental Health & Addiction
Services, and Southern Connecticut State University. Dr. Felke completed a needs
assessment of older adults in Collier County in 2014, which went on to garner national
recognition from media outlets including the PBS Newshour, CNN Money, and the Kaiser
Health Network. Since that time, he has been actively engaged in work to support
older adults across Southwest Florida through various research, advocacy, and consulting
efforts. He is active as a member of several boards and committees in Southwest Florida
as well as for national social work organizations.
